Generation Z values the human element

Sep 7, 2018

Employers are shifting their focus to the newest young members of the workforce: Generation Z. Gen Z is set to outnumber Millennials by 2019 and organisations are keen to understand the first truly “digital generation” in order to attract, retain and engage them.

As part of their ongoing research, The Generational Shift in the Workforce, RainmakerThinking conducted a survey of 4 093 Generation Z members, aged 16 to 23, in order to understand what these new employees value most in a job.

The answer? The human element.

Gen Zers are looking for strong leaders and managers and for supportive relationships with coworkers and colleagues: 43% of respondents ranked ‘supportive leadership’ as the most important factor for them in a job, with 42% ranking ‘positive relationships at work’ as their most important job factor.

Comparatively, ‘autonomy and creative freedom,’ something typically seen to be valued by Millennials in the workplace, was the least valued job factor with only 16% of respondents finding it to be valuable to them.